Table I.
Baseline characteristics of the study population.
| No. of patients n = 16 626 |
|
|---|---|
| Age in years, mean (± SD) | 50.9 (± 15.7) |
| Age category, n (%): | |
| 18–35 36–50 51–65 > 65 |
2 918 (17.6) 5 670 (34.1) 5 108 (30.7) 2 930 (17.6) |
| Female, n (%) | 8 950 (53.8) |
| Musculoskeletal complaint diagnosed, n (%): | |
| Symptomatic diagnosis | 11 397 (68.5) |
| Back or neck Upper extremity Lower extremity Generalized/other |
4 155 (25.0) 3 540 (21.3) 2 107 (12.7) 1 595 (9.6) |
| Arthritis | 1 283 (7.7) |
| Inflammatory arthritis Osteoarthritis Gout |
201 (1.2) 442 (2.7) 640 (3.8) |
| Radiculopathy Trauma Other |
1 165 (7.0) 765 (4.6) 2 016 (12.1) |
| Type of NSAID prescribed, n (%): | |
| Non-selective NSAID | 16 041 (96.5) |
| Diclofenac Ibuprofen Naproxen Other |
10 799 (65.0) 1 800 (10.8) 1 382 (8.3) 2 060 (12.4) |
| Coxib | 585 (3.5) |
| Celecoxib Etoricoxib |
170 (1.0) 415 (2.5) |
| Duration of NSAID prescription in days, median (IQR) | 11.0 (7.0) |
| Concomitant GPA prescribed, n (%) | 6 032 (36.3) |
Notes: NSAID = non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; coxib = selective cox-2 inhibitor;
IQR = interquartile range; GPA = gastroprotective agent.